CNN Relaunches Crossfire; SE Cupp Exits MSNBC to Co-host

CNN announced Wednesday that its political debate show “Crossfire,” which previously ran from 1982 to 2005, will return this fall with hosts SE Cupp, Newt Gingrich, Van Jones, and Stephanie Cutter.

The other news here is that Cupp, who currently co-anchors “The Cycle” on MSNBC, is leaving that network for CNN.

advertisement

No announcement has been made as to the reboot’s new timeslot; this will be a second major CNN announcement because someone is likely to get bumped.

There has been talk that Wolf Blitzer doesn’t fit into CNN chief Jeff Zucker’s plans for the future.

The good news for CNN is that it won’t take much to improve its moribund ratings in most any timeslot, and the return of “Crossfire” will, at least at first, generate plenty of noise and attention. Working against it, though, is the fact that much of cable news is now “Crossfire.” The left/right debate that made “Crossfire” unique 20 years ago is now everywhere across the three networks and a regular part of most every broadcast hour.

Again, though, the bar at CNN is pretty low to declare the move a ratings plus.